Poll shows voter dissatisfaction in Diaz-Balart district

Polling released Monday suggests that U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Miami Republican who represents part of South Broward, may have to deal with some political fallout from the partial shutdown of the federal government.

Diaz-Balart’s performance was approved by 36 percent of those surveyed, with 46 percent disapproving.

In a generic matchup between Diaz-Balart and an unnamed Democrat, the incumbent had 43 percent and the Democrat 46 percent.

The partial shutdown was supported by 34 percent and opposed by 59 percent.

Public Policy Polling said in a memo that “Republicans will likely find this third round of surveys to be the most alarming yet, given that the new results show substantial Republican vulnerability in many districts that were not even supposed to be close.”

There are many caveats, and major trouble doesn’t seem likely for Diaz-Balart, who is serving his sixth term.The polling is a snapshot in the immediate aftermath of the shutdown, which was pushed by the tea party wing of the Republican Party as part of an unsuccessful effort to strike a blow at the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare. The November 2014 elections are a long way off.

- Public Policy Polling, which conducted the poll of 756 voters, is considered Democratic leaning and the poll was commissioned by the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org Political Action.

- Independent ratings don’t see Diaz-Balart in any jeopardy.

- Diaz-Balart was one of a minority of House Republicans who voted for the deal to end the partial government shutdown and lift the federal debt ceiling, something that’s subjected him to attacks from conservatives.

- An unnamed generic Democrat isn’t the same as an actual candidate.

- Midterm elections, between presidential years, generally see a falloff in voter turnout that affects Democrats more than Republicans.

The survey was conducted Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week and released Monday.Monday.